The Death of Tim Richmond
The series is known for its controversial handling of the illness and subsequent death of Tim Richmond. NASCAR suspended him indefinitely for testing positive for banned substances. NASCAR later admitted that over-the-counter medications had been found in his system. They refused, however, to reinstate him until he released his medical records to NASCAR executives; this request came after two separate tests of Richmond produced contradictory results. Richmond had contracted AIDS and rumors ran rampant through the community about how Richmond may have contracted the illness (after his death, it was revealed that Richmond contracted AIDS from an unknown woman). Richmond attempted to sue for defamation of character, and the case was later settled out of court.
Read more about this topic: Criticism Of NASCAR
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